Yes indeed....it's "Get Organized" month. The one month of the year that NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) has designated as the time when members help educate the public about the benefits of organization. At a dinner a couple of weeks ago with some friends, I walked in late and said "It's 'Get Organized' month, and my life is chaos." I guess I didn't realize how funny that sounded until it came out and they were laughing at me. I guess when you're in this business, people expect you to be on time. I try my best, but some days, life happens. In this instance, I ended up on a lengthy call with a gentleman that is trying to downsize his life and 30+ years of belongings for an upcoming move, in a relatively short time frame. Sometimes it's hard enough to pick up the phone and make that call and admit that you're overwhelmed and don't know where to start, so I decided we could just talk through his situation until we're done and then I would get to dinner. In the end, my life really isn't chaos, but it felt very choatic that day since I was running behind. Can you relate to how it feels when one small thing does not go as you planned and you begin to feel stressed or overwhelmed? I can guarantee you that the more organized your are, you will be able to cut out some of that stress and the feeling of being overwhelmed.

January is the time of year when we make (and hopefully keep) our New Year's resolutions. Did you know that 'getting organized' is typically one of the top five resolutions set? It's not surprising as there are so many benefits to living and oraganized life and working in an organized and productive office.

One of the biggest benefits of being organized is that it will save you time and money - and this benefit does not discriminate between the home or the office. During these challenging economic times that many individuals and businesses are facing, the need to be organized and productive is more important than ever.

At the office - the more streamlined your processes are and the more systems you have in place will help reduce the amount of wasted employee hours, which translates to a savings on the bottom line. At home, the more control you have over the amount of stuff, will help you eliminate that accidental purchase of something you already own, or can make due without. In your home office, the quicker you can put your hands on paperwork and information will also help you save time and money - especially when it comes to paying the bills on time so you are not assessed late fees.

I have always said that organizing is a process, not an event. This means that once you get one area of your home or office organized or implemented a new system at work to save time, you must maintain what you've created - as maintenance is an on-going activity. It's easy to become quickly overwhelmed by all you want and hope to accomplish, so I urge you to make a list of your organizing goals for 2009 before you jump in. Think about what you can realistically accomplish each month. It's best to set realistic goals that are attainable in this process to help keep you focused and on track for success. Unrealistic goals and trying to accomplish more than what you have the bandwidth to do will only result in disappointment.

Once you've made your list, prioritize it and list your goals on your calendar. Be sure to carve out time on your calendar to complete these projects. Your success rate will be greater when you plan and make the time for these activities. Resist the urge to feel overwhelmed for what you want to accomplish in 2009 - you'll get there, but you need a plan. What are you waiting for? Grab a piece of paper, your calendar or your computer and start making your plan today.

Be one of the first 12 to attend this brand new class being offered only in Laura's home - in Snohomish, WA. This class is based on Laura's latest book tentatively titled Eliminate Paper Chaos that is due out at the end of 2009. This book is the follow up to the best-selling book, Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home & Life.

I have teamed up with Cozi to provide one lucky winner with a kitchen or home office makeover of their dreams

The following is information I posted on Cozi's blog this week - that I wanted to share with you here as well.

Have you signed up for your free Cozi account yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Just think, you could be the winner of an in-home kitchen or home office make over with me – just for signing up! January is the time when so many of us set resolutions for the new year and ‘getting organized’ always ranks as one of the top five resolutions. It’s no surprise really, since living and organized life has so many benefits. When you’re organized, you will feel less stress, less overwhelmed and you will save time and money. Wouldn’t you like to experience these benefits? Imagine how much easier it will be to make quick meals when your kitchen is organized and you know what’s in the pantry. You can even use the customizable lists in Cozi to keep your list of groceries and access it from your phone. Can you picture what your office would look like if there were no piles on the desk or floor and you could retrieve any information or document you needed in a matter of seconds? Stop dreaming….this can be a reality for you and I want to help make this dream come true for you. The lucky winner will have the opportunity to experience my 10-step organizing process that I documented in the best-selling book, Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home & Life. I will take you through these steps to organize your kitchen or home office and then you will have the steps and skills you need to tackle future projects in your home on your own. What are you waiting for? Get started today on a room or rooms in your home you’ve wanted to organize.

To help you get started, I’m offering you a FREE copy of my tips book: Eliminate Chaos in Your Home with the purchase of Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home & Life.

Click here to purchase - but you must do so before 2.5.09 to get the FREE tips book.

Armed with these tools, I wish you all of the benefits of living an organized life in 2009 and beyond.

Host a group of your friends at Laura's home for your own personal class

For the first time, you can host 11 of your friends or colleagues and yourself at Laura's home for your own class!

Here's how it works:

You supply a minimum of 10 people for class, maximum of 12 participants. A date and time that works for your group and Laura will be selected. Eliminate Chaos supplies lunch or a snack depending on the class selected as well as the appropriate materials.

If you're interested in putting a class together, call us at 425.670.2551 or e-mail us at:

I am happy to announce that I have recently completed the manuscript for my next book, tentatively titled Eliminate Paper Chaos (Sasquatch Books, 2009) which is due out at the end of 2009.

This book is the follow up to Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home & Life, released by Sasquatch Books in 2006. After this book was released, it was clear that people wanted more information about how to organize and retrive paper and information, so my new book is dedicated entirely to this topic. I am excited for it's release as I have now documented many of the systems and processes I've been using with clients for years!

Stay tuned for updates on the release and how you can receive one of the first copies.

"I worked with Erin, one of the specialists who works with the Chronically Disorganized (hoarders). In a word, she was fantastic. In four 4-hour sessions, she helped me go through and box up (keep, donate, trash) almost everything that was stacked up in my kitchen, dining room, office, and bonus room. Erin arrived promptly. We went over what I wanted to accomplish that day, then we got to work. She was focused, calm, non-judgmental, and tireless. She faced very dirty circumstances and didn't bat an eyelash. She never once caused me a moment of anxiety; the relief that I felt when we were done was amazing. And Laura Leist, who is the owner of Eliminate Chaos, was lovely. She returned my calls promptly, was kind and understanding, and offered me some options. I would hire this company again in a heartbeat. But right now I'm too busy enjoying all the free space in my house!"

-Kimberly O'Neal

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A great way to try us out and get some organizing done at the same time! For a limited time, we are offering an amazing NEW client organizing special. If you are not an existing client this is a great way for us show you how we can eliminate your chaos.